Numbers 32

1 Now the children of Reuben [See, a son!] and the children of Gad [Good fortune] had a very great multitude of livestock. When they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for livestock;

2 the children of Gad [Good fortune] and the children of Reuben [See, a son!] came and spoke to Moses [Drawn out], and to Eleazar [Help of God] the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying,

3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,

4 the land which Adonai struck before the congregation of Israel [God prevails], is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock.”

5 They said, “If we have found chen ·grace· in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan [Descender].”

6 Moses [Drawn out] said to the children of Gad [Good fortune], and to the children of Reuben [See, a son!], “Shall your brothers go to the war, and shall you sit here?

7 Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel [God prevails] from going over into the land which Adonai has given them?

8 Your fathers did so when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea [Consecrated Son-inconstant] to see the land.

9 For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel [God prevails], that they should not go into the land which Adonai had given them.

10 Adonai’s anger burned in that day, and he swore, saying,

11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt [Abode of slavery], from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham [Father of a multitude], to Isaac [Laughter], and to Jacob [Supplanter]; because they have not wholly followed me,

12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua [Salvation Yah] the son of Nun; because they have followed Adonai completely.’

13 Adonai’s anger burned against Israel [God prevails], and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, who had done evil in Adonai’s sight, was consumed.

14 “Behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, an increase of sinful men, to increase the fierce anger of Adonai toward Israel [God prevails].

15 For if you turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all these people.”

16 They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones;

17 but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel [God prevails], until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

18 We will not teshuvah ·completely return· to our houses, until the children of Israel [God prevails] have each inherited their inheritance.

19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan [Descender], and forward; because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan [Descender] eastward.”

20 Moses [Drawn out] said to them, “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before Adonai to the war,

21 and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan [Descender] before Adonai, until he has driven out his enemies from before him,

22 and the land is subdued before Adonai; then afterward you shall teshuvah ·completely return·, and be guiltless towards Adonai, and towards Israel [God prevails]; and this land shall be to you for a possession before Adonai.

23 “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Adonai; and be sure your sin will find you out.

24 Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.”

25 The children of Gad [Good fortune] and the children of Reuben [See, a son!] spoke to Moses [Drawn out], saying, “Your servants will do as my lord enjoins us.

26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock, shall be there in the cities of Gilead;

27 but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before Adonai to battle, as my lord says.”

28 So Moses [Drawn out] enjoined concerning them to Eleazar [Help of God] the priest, and to Joshua [Salvation Yah] the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ households of the tribes of the children of Israel [God prevails].

29 Moses [Drawn out] said to them, “If the children of Gad [Good fortune] and the children of Reuben [See, a son!] will pass with you over the Jordan [Descender], every man who is armed to battle, before Adonai, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession;

30 but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan [Humbled].”

31 The children of Gad [Good fortune] and the children of Reuben [See, a son!] answered, saying, “As Adonai has said to your servants, so will we do.

32 We will pass over armed before Adonai into the land of Canaan [Humbled], and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan [Descender].”

33 Moses [Drawn out] gave to them, even to the children of Gad [Good fortune], and to the children of Reuben [See, a son!], and to the half-tribe of Manasseh [Causing to forget] the son of Joseph [May he add], the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers], and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, according to its cities and borders, even the cities of the surrounding land.

34 The children of Gad [Good fortune] built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35 Atrothshophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran [Mountaineer]: fortified cities, and folds for sheep.

37 The children of Reuben [See, a son!] built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38 Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities which they built.

39 The children of Machir the son of Manasseh [Causing to forget] went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers] who were therein.

40 Moses [Drawn out] gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh [Causing to forget]; and he lived therein.

41 Jair the son of Manasseh [Causing to forget] went and took its villages, and called them Havvoth Jair.

42 Nobah went and took Kenath, and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.